Technology - December
Masterpiece Lighting launches Web site
Wal-Mart’s Web draws different consumer
Abbott Collection now offers online ordering
RoomStore to use Furniture.com online platform
Dealofday.com offers holiday shopping, savings tips
Artists get new online sales resource with BoundlessGallery.com
Masterpiece Lighting launches Web site
Atlanta-based Masterpiece Lighting, founded by Dana Hunt, has launched its Web site, www.masterpiecelighting.com. The site is a resource for designers, homeowners, builders, architects and anyone looking for unique, upscale lighting and architectural hardware. The company provides information about everything from products and services to the personal biographies of its design consultants. It also allows visitors to contact Masterpiece Lighting representatives directly online.
“Masterpiece Lighting takes great pride in the wide array of products and specialty services we’re providing,” Hunt said. “Our clients benefit from an experience filled with 16,000 square feet of unprecedented personalized service.”
Masterpiece Lighting opened its brick and mortar store in June; the company offers products from more than 160 manufacturers worldwide. Masterpiece Lighting also has the largest number of certified lighting consultants on staff in the southeastern United States.
Wal-Mart’s Web draws different consumer
There are closet Wal-Mart shoppers out there. The largest retailer in the world is attracting more affluent shoppers to its Web site; it recently sold out of its supply of $10,000 certified, yellow diamonds. High-end high tech flat screen TVs, cashmere, fine jewelry and more can be found online but not in stores. The site offers more than one million products exclusively online.
There are many reasons for the disparity in online and in-store merchandise. Walmart.com’s vice president of marketing, Raul Vazquez, says the company uses the Web site as a testing ground of sorts for products that might one day find themselves in stores. Analysts say it’s also a way to compete with Target who lures more affluent shoppers to its stores and to entice a market segment that would never think of shopping in the bricks and mortar version.
In a TechWeb News report, Vazquez said Walmart.com’s users earn as much as 30% more than its in-store shoppers, have more college and graduate degrees and are younger.
Walmart.com is the faster growing segment of the Wal-Mart empire. The retailer expects to greet 160 million visitors to its site, up from 100 million in 2004, between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.
Abbott Collection now offers online ordering
Abbott announces the launch of its online ordering capabilities. Customers can now log into the company’s Web site, www.abbottcollection.com, and place an online order for any of Abbott’s products.
The company’s entire collection -- more than 3,000 items – is available for online ordering.
RoomStore to use Furniture.com online platform
Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, RoomStore operates stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
"We are excited about partnering with RoomStore and look forward to contributing to their continued success. Our role will be to utilize the power of our Internet presence and industry-leading technology platform to drive incremental sales, enhance customer service, and streamline operations for RoomStore and its 65 locations," stated Carl Prindle, president and CEO, Furniture.com.
Curtis Kimbrell, president and CEO of RoomStore said the partnership with Furniture.com will be an integral aspect of RoomStore's growth in 2006 and beyond.
"Beyond marrying the RoomStore experience with the convenience of online shopping and service, Furniture.com's array of leading technologies and services will enhance all of our existing operations -- from merchandising and marketing through customer service and support," Kimbrell said.
Through their Furniture.com partnership, RoomStore will quickly gain access to new customers through the Furniture.com address and website; added in-store traffic from website shoppers seeking real-life touch tests in local showrooms; incremental revenue generated through sales on Furniture.com's website; web-based technology to enhance merchandising and customer service operations for both in-store and online customers; and access to unique preference data generated by Furniture.com shoppers.
Furniture.com is expected to introduce RoomStore merchandise online during the first half of 2006 as well as launch e-commerce offerings at RoomStore's current website.
Furniture.com's other retail partners include the Levitz and Harlem Furniture chains in the U.S. and Leon's Furniture in Canada. Consumers view some 4 million furniture items per day and add $15 million in merchandise to their online shopping carts each week at Furniture.com.
Dealofday.com offers holiday shopping, savings tips
Black Friday may be over, but consumers are just beginning the ritual of ordering holiday gifts online. Knowing how to shop online and find the best deals is tops on everyone's list. Joel Comm, owner of http://www.Dealofday.com, a popular bargain-hunting site since 1999, presents these 12 tips for spreading holiday cheer while saving money online.
1. Tap the collective wisdom of seasoned bargain shoppers on message forums. Site such as http://forums.DealofDay.com feature interactive member forums discussing topics such as Internet deals, how to find free stuff, and coupon clipping.
2. Seek out online coupons provided by merchants eager to provide special discounts and offers. It is not uncommon to find discounts of $50 or more on purchases made online. While not a secret, the key is knowing where to find the coupon codes. Bargain-hunting sites frequently maintain a database of hundreds of coupons, usually searchable by topic and/or category.
3. Check for special rebate offers, often buried within a merchant's site. Sometimes these will be highlighted associated with products, such as at Amazon.com. Other times a merchant will provide one rebate page that provides a complete list of all rebates available. Look for a link to "site map" or something similar to find pages that may have gold buried deeper in the site.
4. If you absolutely, positively have to have the merchandise by Christmas or another specified day, be sure to check the merchant's delivery schedule and shipping guarantee.
5. Coupons clipped in the "real world" may be able to be applied online. Office supply stores such as Office Depot and Staples are notorious for providing coupon codes in printed mailers and newspaper pull-out sections. Often, these coupons provide savings that can be used in the digital realm.
6. Take advantage of "stacking" offers. Shrewd planning may allow you to take advantage of a merchant's "first-time buyer" discount along with another coupon. Also watch for merchants giving away freebies with a purchase of a given dollar amount.
7. Use online price comparison shopper tools to determine which merchant provides the lowest price. Along with the retail amount, these tools will also give you an indication of potential tax and shipping costs, helping you determine the bottom line before you even reach the merchant's site.
8. Check the reputation of the merchant before purchasing from them. Sites such as Bizrate.com provide ratings from consumers.
9. Paying with a credit card online is safer than its real-world counterpart. With no paper trail left behind, you are in much better hands than you might believe. Be sure that the merchant’s checkout is "secure". Most will provide the information up-front, but you can always tell by checking your web browser for the "lock" icon, or, look for "https" in the url of the checkout site.
10. Check auction sites such as eBay to find potential deals. Dealers with overstock and/or collectors with the much sought-after item may have just what you are looking for. Be sure to check the seller's feedback ratings (determined by clicking the number in parentheses after their user name) and examine some of the previous auctions they have been involved in. And remember, if a $5000 plasma television for $700 sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don't fall prey to the criminals that may take your money without making good on their promises.
11. Take your time. One of the greatest benefits of shopping online is not having to fight the crowds and risk being trampled. Use all of the tools at your disposal to find exactly what you are looking for at a fair price.
12. Have fun! Make friends with other bargain hunters on the net and apply your newfound knowledge year round. Then calculate your savings of time and money and give yourself a pat on the back.
Artists get new online sales resource with BoundlessGallery.com
It's a company that gives artists a global "virtual gallery" to market their works - and one that will prove popular among art buyers worldwide as well. BoundlessGallery.com offers free Internet postings to artists, a virtual space where artists can display and sell their work. It's a collaboration that grew out of cooperation between artists and tech professionals.
"We are globalizing a niche which is largely local, the sale of art," says BoundlessGallery.com President Peter Gregory. The company gives artists a virtual Internet venue to buy art, sell art and even offers a ZIP code locator to find art in a specific geographic area. Buyers of art are afforded the opportunity to view and purchase independent artists work from all over the world. Artists can use the service to sell their product outside of their normal area.
BoundlessGallery.com now gives artists and galleries an inexpensive, creative and effective way to sell the work they represent. This is especially true with art that exists in their inventories, that is, art that has had a brick and mortar gallery opening, for which there is no more room to display.
"We're serious about offering the best online art-buying experience, but beyond that, we want to create an art community," said Gregory, "a place for artists, galleries, and everyone else to see, talk about and buy art." The company also offers Web design and hosting to a very select audience, the owners of art galleries.
BoundlessGallery.com is committed to giving galleries and artists full control of their listings on the site. The company will soon offer new features on the site including a 'Critic's Corner' where visitors can rate art works, as well as student art contests.
For more information go to: www.boundlessgallery.com